Could biodegradable plastics made from natural substances such as algae replace fossil-fuel polymers? Here are 10 examples of designers that are experimenting with environmentally friendly alternatives.
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Designers should stop using recycled plastic and instead use bioplastics made from natural materials such as algae if they want to reduce pollution, according to Istanbul Design Biennial curator Jan Boelen. More
The new footwear collection from Spanish fashion brand Ecoalf is made from recycled waste found in oceans and rivers. More
French studio XTU Architects has developed a concept for four twisting glass towers in Hangzhou, China, featuring facades covered in panels impregnated with micro-algae. More
Dutch designers Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros have developed a bioplastic made from algae, which they believe could completely replace synthetic plastics over time. More
Studio Roosegaarde has restored a set of flood defences in the Netherlands, impregnating the floodgates with a new retroreflective material that glows in the headlights of oncoming cars. More
IKEA's external innovation lab Space10 has worked in collaboration with three young architects to create a four-metre-high bioreactor dome for growing microalgae. More
Graduate shows 2016: Vilnius Academy of Arts graduate Austeja Platukyte has designed a range of packaging using a material made from algae, which could replace non-biodegradable forms of plastic (+ slideshow). More
DesignMarch 2016: product design student Ari Jónsson has combined red algae powder with water to create a biodegradable bottle. More
Designers Jonas Edvard and Nikolaj Steenfatt have used a new material made from seaweed and paper to create a chair and a collection of pendant lamps. More
Dezeen and MINI Frontiers: in this movie filmed at Dutch Design Week, Essi Johanna Glomb and Rasa Weber of Berlin studio Blond and Bieber explain how algae can be used to create completely non-toxic textile dyes. More
Dutch Design Week 2014: this rug by Dutch designer Nienke Hoogvliet is woven using yarn made from algae harvested from the sea (+ slideshow). More
News: Berlin design studio Blond and Bieber's project that uses algae to create colourful dyes for textile printing has won a competition for young designers organised by Lodz Design Festival (+ movie). More
News: the world's first building to be powered entirely by algae is being piloted in Hamburg, Germany, by engineering firm Arup. More
News: Scientists at a Spanish university are developing a new type of concrete that captures rainwater to create living walls of moss and fungi. More
Dezeen archive: this week we featured a skyscraper with an algae skin, so we thought we'd bring you all the projects involving algae we've published on Dezeen. See all the stories »
Algae would produce energy and clean water for a conceptual skyscraper proposed for London by British architect Dave Edwards. More
This concept car by Los Angeles architects Emergent is made of cartilage and makes its own fuel from algae. More
Industrial designer Christian Vivanco has created this pendant lamp inspired by seaweed. More
This algae-producing tower designed by Sir Peter Cook and Gavin Robotham of London studio CRAB came second in the recent Taiwan Tower Conceptual International Competition. More